


Singularity

by aquabluejay



Category: Kamen Rider Ex-Aid
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen, Tokusatsu - Freeform, a possible ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-14
Updated: 2017-07-14
Packaged: 2018-12-02 04:44:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 915
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11502012
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aquabluejay/pseuds/aquabluejay
Summary: On the outside Emu is fighting as Ex-Aid Muteki Gamer, but in his mindspace he's holding Parad, who's fading fast.





	Singularity

**Author's Note:**

> Don't know how Ex-Aid will end yet, but I dashed off this possible ending while waiting for Ep 39 to air.

On the outside Emu is fighting as Ex-Aid Muteki Gamer, but in his mindspace he's holding Parad, who's fading fast.

Emu hasn't had time to think of a name for what they are now. There hasn't been time to stop and admire the way the gold of Muteki seems to have gone translucent white and iridescent.

Together they're truly invincible, Parad was right. But Emu let things get too far. He wasn't there in time to stop Chronos's from taking out Para-Dx or to prevent him from mortally wounding Parad.

Parad merges himself into Emu's body to make them stronger, so they can end Chronos. But it isn't enough. Parad is so badly hurt, even abandoning his corporeal form... Emu can feel that Parad won't last much longer.

When Parad goes not only will they lose This power, but Muteki, all of Ex-Aid's power.

So much is at stake.

So on the outside Emu fights, and on the inside, deep in his mind he cradles Parad, while they talk in whispers. They should have talked like this a long time ago Emu realizes with a stab of guilt.

Their memories are overlapping, blurring together in places, overlapping. Emu finds he can both see things how he recalls them, and simultaneously get Parad's memories of that moment, just as clear. Whether they were both present or not.

Time is spread out in deep thought and so Emu finds he has time to look at some of them. And as Emu thinks over the last few months, he lets himself think as both of them. Seeing not just the events that stand out to him, but what stood out to Parad too.

He sees everything. Feels the echoes of it too. The flickers of fear, dissatisfaction boiling over into rage at Dan. Beneath his own alarm and anger, he can feel Parad's excitement and heartbreak the day he told Emu the truth. Parad's terror washes over him, stealing his breath. Emu had been worried about his patients, focused on Salty and Graphite, Chronos when he appeared. He never once wondered where Parad was. He sees the rose crushed beneath Dan Masumne's heel, the apple in Parad's trembling hand… He remembers from both sides, like a strange double image, the days after, when Parad had come to him to propose an alliance. He'd said he'd never help Parad but he'd meant he wouldn't assist the Bugsters' crusade against humans. He hadn't realized... That Parad was asking for his HELP. He hadn't had any idea. Emu feels the stinging betrayal when Parad realized his lie, feels the way it lingered, like acid behind Parad's increasing hollow smiles.

He looks down at Parad in his arms. The bugsters eyes are closed now.

"Hey," he says, brushing at Parad's cheek. "Don't check out on me. We're not done yet."

Parad opens his eyes with what seems like great effort to look up at Emu. He looks so tired. A tiredness Emu recognizes seeing on his own features in the mirror every morning for the last few weeks.

"I'm cold Emu."

Emu holds Parad closer, trying to share his body heat. It isn't cold here but…

"It's ok, I've got you."

The fight is almost over. Emu doesn't know what will happen after, not for sure. But he knows Parad isn’t going to make it. 

Dan admitted that although Parad should be respawnable like the other Bugsters there wasn't really any telling. He'd never tested it, and Parad was after all unique.

Out in the real world, Emu readies the last blow. Inside he realizes that Parad's gaze has gone fixed and glassy.

Chronos's henshin shatters, his driver clatters away, fizzling. Parad slips through Emu's fingers, no more than flecks of data that die like sparks. Muteki falls apart only moments after Chronos, with the difference that Emu lands gracefully, driver and gashats mostly intact.

The mindspace closes in on him and the strange duality he'd felt collapses like a singularity, leaving only Emu, alone.

Emu may be unable to transform, but the other's have no such problems. They seize Dan Masamune before he can even think of running.

Chronicle is shut down, Masamune is back behind bars again, most likely for forever this time.

Emu stares down at the Bugvisor in his hand. He fiddles carefully with the buttons, flipping it to the setting for Parad's games. He fires it into the empty space before him. But nothing happens. He sags back into his chair in the empty CR office.

Until something occurs to him.

Glad there's no one around to scold him for the very foolish thing he's about to do, Emu turns the device on himself. He presses it into his chest and presses the trigger again.

When Poppy arrives back at the office to check on Emu a few hours later, she finds him playing a board game with himself, hopping back and forth from one side of the table to the other.

Or so it seems.

"Emu?"

Emu turns to her and his eyes flash red for a moment.

"No, M!" he corrects her with a delighted smile that is definitely not Emu’s.

His eyes flash again, and suddenly Emu is apologizing to Poppy for Parad's rudeness and trying to explain. Parad is alive. But he can't come out, “not yet at least,” Emu rubs the back of his neck bashfully as he admits. There's still quite a bit for CR’s doctors to figure out it seems.


End file.
